Three Arsenal players have returned to training ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, but three more remain absent through injury.
Arsenal’s open training session in front of the media on Tuesday revealed a few bits of good news on the injury front, with Leandro Trossard, Riccardo Calafiori, and William Saliba all taking part in the session.
Trossard and Calafiori had been withdrawn early during Arsenal’s FA Cup tie against Mansfield Town over the weekend, though Mikel Arteta played down the problems as minor afterwards.
Even so, it’s encouraging to see both back involved in training immediately, particularly given Calafiori’s fitness struggles this season.
As for Saliba, the centre-back has missed Arsenal’s last couple of games with an ankle problem picked up in the win over Chelsea at the start of this month.
Fans will be hopeful that Saliba’s return to training means he’s now available for selection again, and Arteta will likely provide an update during his press conference on Tuesday evening.
Unfortunately, Martin Odegaard, Ben White, and Mikel Merino all remain absent from training, suggesting none of the three will be on the plane to Germany on Tuesday afternoon.
That’s not a surprise when it comes to Merino, who is unlikely to feature again this season. Recent comments from Norway’s manager seem to hint that Odegaard will be out until the end of March, while nobody knows what is happening with Ben White, what his problem is beyond ‘muscular’ or when he is expected back.